A classic had seemed to be on the cards and the players emphatically delivered. A pulsating encounter at the top of the Prem table ended with Northampton ultimately pulling Saracens apart after blowing an early 17-0 lead.
Noah Caluori had dominated the buildup after his five tries against Sale, but Tommy Freeman of England restated his class with a phenomenal four tries, while Fin Smith orchestrated a vintage attacking performance. Phil Dowson’s Northampton look well equipped for another title.
“Tommy does so many things so well,” Dowson said of Freeman, who may soon feature at outside-centre for England. “He looked physical, fast, skilful, took the ball in the air beautifully. He’s just a phenom at the moment.”
Henry Pollock had bleached his hair as if to remind everyone he remains one of the coming men in English rugby, but it was a touch of class from his fellow British & Irish Lions Freeman and Smith that made the first score. The fly-half floated a cross-kick right for Freeman where the wing gained 50 metres. Smith then dinked a delicious grubber kick for the full-back George Hendy to pounce on.
The incisiveness of Northampton’s attacking left Saracens suffering from a collective case of twisted blood. Smith nudged another teasing grubber to the tryline where Saracens’ Max Malins tried desperately to touch down in-goal. The ball squirted out, allowing the Northampton openside Tom Pearson to score.
Mark McCall’s side could not escape their own half. Smith whipped a sensational pass to Hendy, who fed Freeman for try No 3. But Saracens are serial champions for a reason and were soon on the scoreboard. First Fergus Burke raced under the posts, released by Nick Tompkins; then Burke’s perfectly weighted grubber allowed Jack Bracken to apply a scorching finish.
Pearson was shown a yellow card with Northampton forced on to the back foot. Juan Martín González bashed over and Owen Farrell’s conversion meant Saracens, almost unbelievably, led 19-17 at half-time.
After the Saracens lock Hugh Tizard scored, another Farrell conversion took the visitors further ahead. Northampton needed something and Pollock provided it, intercepting in midfield to buy the field position that brought a yellow card for the Saracens prop Marco Riccioni and a second try for Pearson.
“I think they’ve probably done their analysis in the week,” McCall said of Pollock’s superb, momentum-shifting intervention. Dowson’s take was different. “Lee Radford [Saints defence coach] said at the time, that’s totally out of system and if it hadn’t come off, I would have taken him off.
“He’s capable of those things,” Dowson added. “That’s what Henry brings to the table. He’s high energy, you can see him talking and winding people up. He’s also got a great feel for the game – that intercept was not something we’d practised, planned or foreseen. He’s made a read.”
Saracens led by two but not for long – Pollock nearly powered over – before Mitchell teed up Freeman, and Smith’s conversion had Northampton five ahead.
The hosts were rampant again and although Freeman completed his hat-trick Saracens were not done, Malins sprinting in at the corner. Farrell missed the conversion and almost instantly Smith’s perceptive kick put Freeman in for his fourth.
“I thought the whole game was fun to watch,” said Dowson. “It was a really enjoyable game. It’s easy for me to say that from a winning position but I thought it was a good example.”
McCall said of Caluori’s evening: “It was going to be good experience no matter what – whether it’s a good experience in the moment, or in a couple of weeks, or a couple of months.”
Freeman described his newest England colleague Caluori as “a good kid, a freak of an athlete with the world at his feet”. His assessment of the match?
“Very fun. That’s why we play the game. It was just good to come on the right side.”
